


Harry Potter and The Lion's Façade

by floofybirb



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Angst, Betrayal, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark Harry, Drarry, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gryffindor Harry Potter, Harry Potter Gets the Love He Deserves, Harry Potter is Lord Potter, Harry Potter is Lord of Multiple Noble Houses, Harry Potter is a Horcrux, Harry Potter is a Little Shit, Harry makes his own side, Hogwarts Inter-House Unity, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Magically Powerful Harry Potter, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Mentor Severus Snape, Morally Grey Harry Potter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining Draco Malfoy, Pining Harry Potter, Protective Harry Potter, Quidditch, Seer Luna Lovegood, Severitus | Severus Snape is Harry Potter's Parent, Slytherin Harry Potter, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29371572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floofybirb/pseuds/floofybirb
Summary: Harry Potter has had enough. He’s sick of the lies, never being someone’s first choice, and hiding himself behind a veil of deceit. The golden boy of Gryffindor is nothing more than a mask to protect himself, but he is done playing games. It’s time for Harry to find his place in the world as himself, all while using the fame he oh so ever detests as a powerful weapon. Along the way, he’ll find true friends, a loving family, and love where he least expected it.-Updates whenever the author has time-
Relationships: Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hannah Abbott/Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, Luna Lovegood & Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Regulus Black & Lily Evans Potter, Regulus Black/James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Theodore Nott/Blaise Zabini
Comments: 7
Kudos: 140





	1. Enough

_ Great Britain _

_ Surrey _

_ Little Whinging, 4 Privet Drive _

14-year old Harry Potter stared listlessly at the lightbulb hanging within his dirty cupboard, wondering if life was enjoying squeezing lemons into his eyes. Dusty, cramped, and uncomfortable were only a few adjectives to describe his  _ lovely _ room. His relatives were just,  _ oh so kind _ , to grace him with entry into his cupboard, along with all of his items from the wizarding world. His dull Avada Kedavra green eyes trailed over to the corner right beside him, home to plenty of miniature spiders that never seemed to bother him. It was as if they had a mutual understanding of sorts.

Harry watched as a tiny beige spider, of which he couldn’t recognize, spun a beautiful web that was sure to trap any little bug that came crawling into its domain. It reminded him of his, well,  _ friends _ , who time and time again have proved to be nothing but untrustworthy. He could understand Ron sending smaller and smaller letters to him over the summer, as the red-head turned his back on him during the Tri-Wizard tournament. Hermione, on the other hand, was an unpleasant surprise. The strong-headed bushy-haired girl often followed in what she believed, at least most of the time. Other times however, she unfortunately viewed her books and professors words as law. 

It was truly unfortunate that they have clearly decided whose side they’re on, as Harry could easily figure out a pattern between the two letters, indicating the two were somehow together. Where was the question on his mind and with  _ who _ . Whenever Hermione stayed over at the Burrow, the letters she sent were full of love and concern for him, whereas Ron would ask him how the Dursley’s were. This summer, however, their letters have only indicated that they’re being more hush-hush to keep  _ him _ safe. Harry scoffed at the notion, having lived in a hell of his own long before the fated Hogwarts letter crashed into his damned life. 

His intelligence, which had been carefully hidden for years, finds itself coming out of the deep-end. For years, Harry needed to dumb himself down in order to make sure that precious Dudley got the better grades. If he failed to do so, a beating was surely in his future. Once he got to Hogwarts and became friends with one Hermione Granger, that intelligence refused to come into play, as Harry feared losing one of his very first friends. Whenever he looks back at those times, he feels beyond foolish to have allowed his fears to get the better of him.

Carefully, he picked up one of the most recent letters from Hermione, bringing it all the way up until it covered his only light source. The urge to watch it burst into flames burned deep within his soul, and yet, he simply couldn’t. There was an even stronger urge to burn every letter he received this far right in front of their faces, allowing the two to see exactly how he felt about their clear secrecy. 

Supposedly, someone was due to pick him up from the Dursleys, but the notion brought annoyance as he would much rather leave on his own. The thought made Harry pause, wondering why he never did that in the first place. His third year, he had spectacularly blown Marge up and escaped to the wizarding world through the use of the Knight Bus. The memory brought back feelings of joy, having finally gotten one-up on his disgusting relative’s who believed that his very existence was nothing but a curse. 

Every single year he got sent back to this hellhole only fueled feelings of hatred that the saviour of the wizarding world simply could  _ never _ have. Most of those feelings were aimed straight at the one and only Albus Dumbledore, who never gave him an explanation as to why he has to stay with his relatives. Time and time again he’s heard the excuse of ‘Blood Wards’ which are meant to protect him, but if he’s being hurt behind those wards, then they’re simply useless. Honestly, he wouldn’t mind a Death Eater raid on his relative’s home, as it would bring him some deep-needed release from all the anger building within. Doing repetitive chores for hours on end can’t give him that. What would he even do _ , pull out all the flowers in his aunt’s garden instead of the weeds _ ?

He sat up in his dirty old cot, groaning from the pain on his back. His uncle hadn’t been too pleased that he spoke back to him last night when he tried to defend those he thought were his friends. The reward he received for even speaking up are beautifully drawn onto his back, as multiple belt marks paint a darker picture of the ‘ **pampered life** ’ he was  _ clearly _ living. 

His magic, the one thing he could depend on, had healed his back fairly well, leaving scabbing all over. Harry felt regret for speaking up, as he now believed neither of the rest of the ‘Golden Trio’  _ deserved _ his trust, his love, or his friendship. Sometimes, he wonders if letting the sorting hat sort him into Slytherin would have changed his life at all. Through the song, it stated he would have found his true friends and that’s something he  _ wishes _ he could have.

The reality is that he simply couldn’t trust  _ anyone _ . Where was Sirius, his godfather who seemed ecstatic getting to know him, yet hadn’t fought to keep him. Where was Remus, the kind werewolf who felt delighted at being near the legacy of his dead friend, yet ran with his tail between his legs once Dumbledore put his foot down. Where were his best friends from the previous years, who promised to stick by his side no matter the situation after having gone through life altering trials? Where was Albus Dumbledore, who was glad to have him as the icon of the light and often acted grandfatherly towards him, yet sent him back to his hell no matter how much he begged not to be.

Adults and friends alike have failed him through their sheer ignorance and blind trust of one man, who has the rest of the wizarding world at his wrinkly finger tips.  **Enough is enough.** For once in his life, it’s his turn to make choices and decisions, rather than have little birds in his ears tell him how,  _ ‘Oh, Slytherins are just so evil _ ’ or  _ ‘Albus Dumbledore is such a great man. _ ’ No longer will he be led along towards a path that has been forced onto him. He’s not his father, nor his mother, he has always been just Harry. A young boy who dreamed of unconditional love, yet has always had love at a price. 

Grinning to himself, Harry carefully packs whatever he can back into his trunk that his relative’s conveniently forgot about when he was locked back into his cupboard, both his safe haven and prison. He casually placed the letters from his ‘friends’ into the trunk as well, keeping them as his personal ammo. Previously dull eyes lit up into a frightening glow, with all of their attention on the door that would let him free. Unfortunately, he couldn’t use his magic or he would risk possible consequences that would most likely start off a smear campaign against him. 

Lifting his calloused hands, Harry turns them into fits, before punching the door that would begin his beautiful escape to freedom. He ignored the small scratches and splinters that gradually appeared on his fists, as he finally got the door to open up. Currently, it was past midnight and his relative’s were happily asleep, living lives of blissful ignorance. Slowly and quietly, Harry Potter left his cupboard and went straight towards the front door, letting himself outside. An even larger grin spread across his face, as his only faithful beauty landed onto his fairly muscled arm that buffed up from years of Quidditch. “Well girl, it’s time to be free.” He quietly whispered in a joyful tone, before walking away from Privet Drive, far enough to attract the attention of the Knight Bus.

Harry could almost taste the deliciousness on the tip of his tongue, as the triple-decker light purple bus rapidly approached where he stood. A new version of him would grace the halls of Hogwarts and the wizarding word would have no choice but to accept him, for he will forge his own path. 

_ It’s time for the snake to come out into play, as the lion plays all like a fiddle. _


	2. Gringotts Visit pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (TW: Small bit of blood)

_ Great Britain _

_ The Leaky Cauldron-Diagon Alley _

_ Gringotts _

Harry stared longingly at the brick wall in front of him, knowing he was but a step away from being back  _ home _ . His decision to escape his torturous life was decided on a whim and he quickly realized that the chances of being recognized by some wizard is far more likely than he would like it to be. Hedwig, his faithful friend, had flown off to the Burrow, where she would hopefully be fed and cared for as he navigated his new life and new decisions. He was positive that the Weasleys, especially Molly, would care for her just as they cared for Errol and Pigwidgeon. 

At the moment, he didn’t believe he could protect Hedwig if some wandering Death Eater were to simply attack him on his trip through Diagon Alley. He muttered a curse under his breath just thinking about that awful possibility, knowing he would be thoroughly underprepared for such an event. Despite his status as the light side’s icon of sorts, Dumbledore never taught him anything extra, leaving him to flounder through his classes and learn the most basic of spells which he was sure Voldemort and his little minions already knew.

Taking a deep breath, Harry moved away from the entrance to the wizarding world, searching for a hat or bandana that would hopefully cover up his scar that has henceforth damned his life. It took time, as many stores were no longer open, however Harry was lucky to find a dirty old beige hat lodged in a bin on the side of the awfully busy road. Truthfully, he would rather wear anything else but, beggars can’t be choosers. Plopping the hat onto his head, Harry made his way back to where he needed to be, grinning happily. 

No one had discovered that he had left yet or he would surely have been found already. Harry knew long ago that the next door neighbor, Arabella Figg, was  _ different _ from the rest. She had plenty of cats and her home was reminiscent of that of a wizard’s. However, he hadn’t quite picked up on those differences until he found himself in the wizarding world and learned what Squibs were. From then on, he became suspicious about her placement next to his residence. Why would someone with ties to that world live right next to him and not tell him anything about who he was? Unless the woman had completely shut herself off from that world, she would have known who he is.

Clenching his fists, Harry ignored the stinging pain present on his palms as he carefully moved his wand in order to open up the entrance. He was as quiet as a snake, refusing to bring unwanted attention to himself. As the entrance slowly but surely opened up, Harry quickly went through as he felt as though walking slowly would bring attention. The pale-skinned male was quick on his feet, having learned that making unnecessary noise results in nothing but pain. He moved under the cover of the shadows, before staring up at his destination. 

“Gringotts.” He quietly whispered out, hoping that he would be able to take out money as the last time he even saw his vault key was when Hagrid took it back. Hagrid should have  _ never _ taken it, for it had no place in his enormously large hands. It was  _ his _ vault key, something left over from  _ his _ parents. Gritting his teeth, Harry walked into the wonky-looking white building with his head held high above his shoulders. Confidence was key in this scenario, as being a stuttering nervous mess would surely cause the goblins to sneer at him.

Harry made his way straight towards the banker, face set in a neutral position. He had no qualms about the goblins being friendly to him, as wizards tended to act as superior against anything deemed a creature. It was disgusting and wholeheartedly reminded him of his relatives. He quietly scoffed to himself, wondering how the Dursleys would react if forced to communicate with anything other than a human or non-magical animal/creature. The emerald-eyed male could easily hear the shouting match that would occur, with Petunia loudly shrieking at the ‘abominations’ in front of her. Vernon would most likely turn to violence as his first response.

“What do ya want?” The goblin at the counter sneered at him, seemingly wanting to be anywhere but where the goblin is currently. Harry was tempted to sneer back but held himself back, knowing it would only serve to impede him if he were to act rude to those who hold his vaults. “I would like to extract money from my vault.” His voice was smooth like velvet, seemingly losing the boyish features it often had. 

Harry dutifully ignored the wizards who were within the bank at this late time, pretending his eyes hadn’t been drifting towards the pale-blonde in the corner. Grey eyes met emerald green eyes for a few seconds, before both sets broke away. However, in those few seconds, it was as if time had completely stopped. Harry decided to think nothing of it for the time being, as he had plenty of other issues to worry about. “Key?” The goblin sneered at him again, causing Harry to subtly roll his eyes. ‘Treating wizards poorly would never help their case,’ he thought to himself. 

“I don’t have my key. Hagrid does.” Harry quietly stated, noticing how his statement seemed to annoy the goblin even more. For a minute, nothing really happened, until another goblin sauntered on over. “Follow me Mr.Potter, we have much to discuss.” The goblin began walking away, leaving Harry to slowly follow behind. Confusion was visible on his face as he couldn’t quite recall what would need to be discussed. 

Once within the goblin’s office, Harry took a seat on the lush red chair, finished off with a miniature brown pillow. He took in the sight before him, amazed by the intricacies of the design. The goblin sat before him behind a mahogany desk full of papers that would surely make his own head hurt. “Now, Mr.Potter, why have you not come to us beforehand? We’ve sent plenty of letters throughout the last year after your emancipation.” The goblin, whose name is Griphook according to the nameplate, curiously asks. 

Harry stared at Griphook baffled. Emancipation? What the hell did the goblin mean by emancipation?!? Narrowing his deadly green eyes, Harry took a second to formulate his question. “I have no idea as to what you’re talking about. What do you mean by emancipation?” His words are slow on purpose, as though he needs time to still process the information himself. 

The goblin, Griphook, angrily mutters under his breath about incompetent wizards and the like, before wearing a fearful smile. “Well well, it seems we both have questions, now don’t we? Mr.Potter, when the goblet declared you as a champion, you were automatically emancipated or seen as an adult in the eyes of the wizarding world. You should have gotten a letter from Gringotts, with information on how to take up your lordships and exactly comes with that. Now, somehow, you did not receive any of our letters, which could only mean that they were either warded against or were intercepted. However, now that you are indeed here, we can discuss everything necessary for you Mr.Potter to take up your lordships.” 

Harry could feel anger coursing deep within his veins, screaming to be let out in a fiery vengeance. Here he was learning about how he was technically an adult, meaning he didn’t need to be with the Durselys at all. He was also being told about lordships, something he didn’t even know he  _ had _ . It all pointed to one very special thing. Someone was continually trying to keep him in the dark in order to have some form of control over him. It was as if they  _ wanted _ him to be abused. Harry gripped onto the seat he was sitting in, unknowingly releasing his own magical aura all over Gringotts. It was suffocating to say the least, but Harry was far too gone in his head planning to destroy whoever kept such vital information from him. 

Eventually, his magic exploded tremendously, causing bouts of destruction within Griphook’s office, who didn’t seem to mind the reaction. Harry was out of breath after the explosion, leaving him to slide down into the seat he was in. His mind was blank, with thoughts of betrayal being locked away into the deepest corner of his mind, along with his imaginary friend.

“Mr.Potter, please drop 3 drops of blood onto this piece of parchment. It will prove your identity, claim to your lordships, and any possible ailments that are on your person, such as compulsions, loyalty potions, and the like.” Griphook handed Harry the piece of parchment and a goblin-forged dagger with tiny ruby crystals adorned on the hilt. Harry shakily grasped the dagger, before nipping his ring finger. He watched as his blood slowly dropped onto the parchment, before revealing truths that caused his face to scrunch up in disgust, horror, and pure unadulterated anger. 

However, as soon as the anger came, it faded away into an unbearable sadness. He just couldn’t understand why this was happening to him. Was he really that unlovable? Were the Dursleys right about him being nothing but a freak? His ‘friends’ would have disappeared but the truth on the parchment makes him believe otherwise. Tears begin to fall down his face as he comes to terms with the fact that maybe no one is on his side. For most of his life, he had been taught not to cry no matter how awful of a situation he was in and he followed those beliefs, but for the first time in  _ years _ , he couldn’t hold the tears in.

Taking a deep inhale and letting out a calming exhale, Harry looks back at the parchment, deciding that adults truly couldn’t be trusted. He promised himself that he would never fully trust any of those who betrayed him again.  _ A wisp of magic flowed throughout the office as Harry unintentionally made a vow. _

**This simply reaffirmed his decision to create a side of his own full of those he completely trusts.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will hopefully be in less than two weeks!


End file.
